A question for our British Friends.....

[LePaul]

I genuinely interested in this and ask it as a tongue-in-cheek question and mean no offense by it:  Why do you guys still have a monarchy?  I mean, the lifestyle these people live, just the cost alone must be phenomenal for the tax payers.  But, its also a living history....we were talking about it the other night while watching a piece on Princess Diana.  I'm wondering how the average Brit feels about seeing their tax dollars support their lavish lifestyles.  I'm sure its good for tourism and all...

Just wondering, again, no offense intended, just inquiring as to what you folks feel about it.

[Swoop]

Dude, the civil list got cancelled years ago.  We dont pay for the monarchy any more, they pay for themselves.......since they still own half of England they can afford to.

 

[LePaul]

LOL!

Wow, didn't know that, thus why I asked!

[Nashwan]

The Civil List has n't been cancelled, just cut back. For 2001 the figure is £37 million.
Theroyal Family doesn't get that money for themselves, however, it provides for the upkeep of royal palaces and art treasures, diplomatic visits abroad, hosting visting heads of state, offical functions in the uk etc.
The truth is, get rid of the monarchy and the bill wouldn't go down at all. The palaces are national treasures and have to be maintained like any historic monuments, the government would have to pay a lot to drum up the sort of business a foreign visit by a royal generates for the country, visiting heads of state would still have to be entertained etc.
Keeping the royal family probably doesn't cost anything, even when you don't count the amount of tourism revenue they generate.

[qts]

The Monarchy is a national symbol, above politics yet a constitutional check against Parliament. The Monarch can refuse to sign any Act of Parliament. Thus far it's been theoretical, but it's there.

When I look at the problems that Presidencies cause, I feel grateful that we haven't chucked them. There may be a change when Charles becomes King - IMO he is not fit for the job due to lack of judgement.

[Dowding]

We need something to attract the US tourist dollar.

Hence the monarchy.  

If they went tomorrow, I wouldn't miss them. They are the remanents of an archaic and superstitious system of belief. And they're a bunch of inbred Germans.

But they don't cost that much, although I'd like to see all the hangers-on cut-off entirely. And eventually whittle them all down until they are all gone. Any maintanance etc can be performed by a registered charity in the form of some kind of public trust, subsidised by the government.

Eventually, we'll get rid of the hereditory peers too - when we've worked out a better system. Many of Lords gained their titles through stealing other people's titles and land during the Civil War.